Waler bracket



Feb 11, 1969 F. E. BUYKEN 3,426,992

WALER BRACKET Filed Oct. 11, 1967 'ERD E. SMITH- United States Patent 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A bracket supports and presses generally horizontally disposed waler against a series of laterally-spaced upright studs which, in turn, reinforce a concrete-form panel. The bracket engages and is supported by the head of a tierod which passes through the form panel. A ledge member on the bracket receives and supports the waler. An upright wall spaced from the ledge member rests against the form panel. An upwardly and outwardly extending connection arm has its lower end flexibly joined to the lower end of the upright wall and its upper end joined to the inner edge of the ledge member. An upstanding second wall at the outer edge of the ledge member bears against the outer face of a waler supported on the ledge member. Each of the upright wall and the upper portion of the connecting arm is provided with an inverted keyhole slot for engaging a tie-rod head, whereby the waler bracket may be supported on either a short or a long-type tie rod extending through the form panel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The present invention relates generally to the art of concrete construction and, more particularly, to an improved bracket for supporting and pressing a waler against a concrete-form panel.

Description of the prior art In the concrete construction field it is common to employ Walers to bolster or reinforce concrete-form panels to prevent them from bulging, blowing or breaking under the force of the fluid concrete which such panels retain until it is set. Sometimes the form panels are reinforced by timber studs and the walers are employed to brace the studs. The walers are normally supported by brackets, such as those shown in co-pending US. application Ser. No. 471,226, filed July 12, 1965, now US. Patent No. 3,347,510 and the following co-pending U.S. applications: Ser. No. 674,602, Oct. 11, 1967; Ser. No. 674,603, Oct. 11, 1967; Ser. No. 674,604, Oct. 11, 1967.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved waler bracket adapted to engage and be sup ported by the headed outer end of a tie-rod passing through a concrete-form panel and, in turn, to tense such tie-rod and support and press a waler against the studs which reinforce such panel. Another object of this invention is the provision of a waler bracket of the type described above which is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture and to use.

The foregoing and other objects have been realized by the waler bracket of the present invention which includes a first upright wall adapted to rest against a concreteform wall, an outwardly and upwardly extending connecting a-rm, flexibly joined to the lower extremity of the first upright wall, an upstanding second wall on the connecting arm for bearing against the outer face of a waler supported by the bracket, and a generally horizontal 3,426,992 Patented Feb. 11, 1969 "ice waler receiving and supporting ledge associated with the connecting arm and extending inwardly from the upstanding second wall. The first upright wall is provided with an inverted keyhole slot for engaging the head of a shorttype tie-rod which extends through the form panel, and the upper portion of the connecting arm is also provided with an inverted keyhole slot for engaging the head of a long-type tie-rod. The flexible joinder between the first upright wall and the connecting biases the upstanding second wall toward the plane of the first upright wall, so that when the bracket is positioned to engage a tierod head passing through a concrete-form panel and a waler is forced between the second wall and the outer faces of studs which reinforce the form panel, the tie-rod will be placed in tension, and the second wall member will press the waler against the studs to brace them and thereby bolster or reinforce the form.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be more apparent during the course of the following description in which is set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the accompanying drawing:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation View, partly in section, showing a waler bracket supported on the head of a tie-rod, extending through a concrete-form panel and supporting and pressing a waler against the outer faces of timber studs which reinforce the form panel, and showing, in phantom lines, the position the bracket assumes on the panel prior to the time the waler is inserted; and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the waler bracket shown in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawing, waler bracket 10, constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, is shown supporting and pressing a waler 12 against timber stud 13, which, in turn, reinforces a concrete-form panel 14. The bracket 10 engages and is supported on the head 16 of a tie-rod 18 which passes through an aperture 20 in the panel 14. As shown in phantom lines in FIG. 1, the bracket is also adapted to engage the head 22 of a long-type tie-rod having an extended shaft 24.

Typically, the waler 12 and stud 13 comprise two-byfour timbers of construction grade lumber (circa 1% x 3% inches); the concrete-form panel 14 is usually plywood approximately Ainch in thickness; and the tie-rod 18 is formed of steel bar stock, approximately inch in diameter. A supporting washer 26 on the shank portion 28 of the tie-rod bears on the panel inner face and closes the inner end of aperture 20.

The waler bracket 10 includes a first upright wall 30 which rests against the outer face of form panel 14. Inverted keyhole slot 32, best shown in FIG. 2, is provided in wall 30 for passing over and engaging head 16 of the short-type tie rod 18. A generally horizontal waler receiving and supporting ledge 34 is spaced from the first upright wall 30 and is connected to wall 30 by connecting arm 36. The connecting arm 36 is flexibly joined at 33 to the lower portion of wall 30 and extends outwardly and upwardly therefrom. The upper edge of connecting arm 36 is joined to waler-supporting ledge 34. An upstanding second wall 38 is integrally joined to the outer portion of ledge 34 and bears against the waler 12, supported on the ledge member. Preferably an outwardly curved lip 40 is provided at the upper end to facilitate insertion of the waler as will be more fully described below.

As best shown in FIG. 2, the upper portion of the connecting arm 36 is provided with a second inverted keyhole slot 42 for engaging the head 22 of a long-type tierod 24, the latter being shown in phantom lines in FIG. 1.

In operation, form-carpenters insert tie-rods through a series of preformed, aligned holes 20 in a concreteforming panel 14, reinforced by a series of laterally spaced studs 13. They next engage a waler bracket 10 on each rod end and then force an elongated waler 12, initially tilted or canted, between the outer faces of the studs 13 and the walls 38 of several brackets. The curved lip 40 on the Wall facilitates such insertion. The wedging action of the waler between the bracket wall 38, and the outer stud faces forces the connecting arm 36, the ledge 34 and the wall 38 to pivot (in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 1) about a fulcrum line 44. This action places the tie-rod 18 in tension. The Wall 38 will force the waler against the outer surfaces of studs 13, and the washer 26 on each tensed tie-rod 18 will press against the inner surface of panel 14 and force it against the waler to further tighten the assembly.

When so assembled, the waler 12 functions to brace the studs 13 and thereby bolster the panel 14 and prevent it from bowing or fracturing under the force of the fluid concrete (not shown) which the form retains. When the concrete sets, the bracket-waler structure is disassembled by striking an upward blow at or near the fulcrum line 44 of the bracket 10 to move the inverted keyhole slot 32 upwardly until the enlarged portion thereof registers with the tie-rod head 16. Thereupon the outward pressure on the bracket, created by the waler, will force the bracket off the tie-rod head. Or the waler may be upwardly dislodged from the brackets supporting it, whereupon all the brackets may be lifted off the tie-rods.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes and alterations may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. All such as, by a liberal application of the doctrine of equivalents fall within the subjoined claim are intended to be covered hereby.

What is claimed is: 1. A waler bracket, comprising: a first upright wall; an outwardly and upwardly extending connecting arm flexibly joined to the lower extremity of said first wall; an upstanding second wall on said connecting arm to bear on an outer face of a waler; generally horizontal waler receiving and supporting means associated with said connecting arm inwardly adjacent said second wall; means on said bracket for engaging a headed tie-rod member to maintain the first wall juxtaposed against a concrete form; and said arm being biased in its fiexible joinder to said first wall whereby said second wall is normally canted toward the plane of said first wall.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,967,689 1/1961 Jahn 248-205 3,174,203 3/1965 Kemper 249--219 X 3,236,486 2/1966 Allen 249-219 X 3,315,937 4/1967 Eriksson 249-44 3,347,510 10/1967 Buyken 248-205 CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Primary Examiner.

I. FRANKLIN, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 249--219, 44 

